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Anna's Prayer by Karl Beckstrand
Several weeks ago, I wrote about the biography Ida's Witness by Karl Beckstrand
and the different ways in which you can use it in your classroom. Ida's Witness, if you recall, is about Karl Beckstrand's great-grandmother Ida who
immigrated to the United States from Sweden. When she left Sweden, Ida
brought her 10-year old sister Anna with her. Ida's sister Anna is the
subject of Karl Beckstrand's second biography Anna's Prayer.
She is Karl Beckstrand's great-aunt. Keep reading to learn more
about Anna's Prayer and how you can use it in a compare and
contrast lesson with Ida's Witness!
Zester the Zebra and His Missing Stripes by Christen Conrad
Early readers start learning about story plot and structure right from the
get-go. They learn that stories tend to follow a pattern and how to
identify the story elements within that pattern. The basic story elements
include:
- characters (the main people or animals in the story)
- setting (where and when the story takes place)
- problem (the biggest problem in the story or decision that needs to be made)
- solution (how the problem is solved or the final decision made)
Zester the Zebra and His Missing Stripes by Christen Conrad is a fun,
fast-paced story with easily identifiable characters, setting, problem, and
solution that could be integrated easily into a language arts unit about story
elements. Who is Zester the Zebra? How did his stripes go missing? How can you
integrate Zester the Zebra and His Missing Stripes into your lessons?
Keep reading to find out!
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Red Bird Sings: The Story of Zitkala-Ša by Gina Capaldi and Q.L. Pearce
I enjoy reading biographies, especially when they are about important figures
from history who may or may not be well known. I recently found the
biography Red Bird Sings: The Story of Zitkala-Ša, Native American Author, Musician,
and Activist... Red Bird Sings for short... by Gina Capaldi and
Q.L. Pearce. Red Bird Sings is a sophisticated picture
book packed full of detailed information and some primary sources about the
life and accomplishments of Zitkala-Sa, a Native American woman who
sought equality and justice for others. Red Bird Sings would be a good book for upper elementary students. Read on to
learn more about Zitkala-Sa, her interesting life, and how she used her
voice to help others.
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10 Quirky Corona Christmas Books for Children
Christmas 2020 is going to be one for the history books. Most of the people around the world are under some sort of restriction or lockdown. What will Christmas look like this year? How can we have a fun and safe Christmas? More importantly... will Santa still be able to deliver presents on Christmas Eve? If so... how will he do it??? These 10 Quirky Corona Christmas books by self-published authors try to answer those questions for you. Keep reading for the details about each of these books!
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My Sister Emma by Gina Conger
Autism... also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD)... is a diagnosis consisting of a wide variety of symptoms and/or characteristics. There are four different types of autism that fall under the ASD umbrella, and no one person experiences it in the same way as someone else. General characteristics of autism may include challenges in verbal communication, repetitive movements, and difficulties with social skills. Since autism is a spectrum disorder, some people will be significantly impacted by it and require lifelong support, whereas others will be highly skilled and able to live independently with minimal or no assistance.
My Sister Emma by Gina Conger is about a little girl Emma who has autism. She does not 'suffer' from it... she has family and friends who love her and is able to live a full and happy life with the help of a few supports. What kind of supports does Emma use and how do they help her? Keep reading to find out!
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Hot Chocolate Surprise + STEM Activity
Teachers are always on the lookout for fast and easy science experiments to complement what their students are learning from their textbooks. Sometimes science textbooks are dry and not very interesting... even when they are introducing interesting subject matter! Science experiments are a fun, hands-on way to bring energy and excitement to your lessons. If you are looking for a science experiment that is easy to prepare and conduct, educational, and with a high-interest level, give Hot Chocolate Surprise a try. Hot Chocolate Surprise appeals to students of all ages and meets a number of science objectives. It's an especially fun activity for those cold, dark days of winter. Read on for a list of materials needed, directions, and a free printable.
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Draw Me Close to You by Kossim Osseni
When students experience traumatic events in their lives, school counselors are the experts in the building who step in, work with the students, and develop strategies to help them cope. In essence, they are first responders in the schools when it comes to students' mental health. I usually write about children's books that teachers and homeschooling parents can use while they are teaching, however, I recently learned about a book school and guidance counselors need to keep in their libraries. Draw Me Close to You by Kossim Osseni is about a little boy Tunde who loses his mother to a "dreadful disease" and takes comfort and solace in drawing, much to his father's dismay. His father doesn't want Tunde to draw. He wants Tunde to do more productive things with his time. It isn't until something tragic happens that makes him realize how important it is to let Tunde draw and find joy again. Keep reading to learn more about Draw Me Close to You and about ways school counselors and teachers can help students who are grieving.
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Goose Farm Adventure by Kenyetta Obie
About two months ago, I wrote about a children's book called
Grow! How We Get Food from Our Garden
by Karl Beckstrand. Grow! was a rhyming book about all
of the fruits, vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers we can harvest from our
gardens. Today, I am writing about another children's book about
gardening. This one is called Goose Farm Adventure and was just
released this autumn by author Kenyetta Obie.
Like Grow!, Goose Farm Adventures teaches children about
the foods that come from the garden. Whereas Grow! was a
rhyming book that played with words and alliteration, Goose Farm Adventure is an alphabet book about a little duck who goes on a visit to his
grandparents' house and discovers what they have growing in their
backyard. Both are really good books and can be used together. Are
you curious to learn more about Goose Farm Adventure and how
you can use it in your classroom? Keep reading to find out more!
I Move A Lot and That's Okay by Shermaine Perry-Knights
Have you ever heard the phrase "military brat?" When you hear those words
you may feel unsettled because the word "brat" normally refers to a spoiled or
annoying child. In actuality though, it's a widely used term that
connotates admiration and respect within the military community... a military
brat is the son or daughter of (either acting or retired) personnel in the armed
services. Researchers estimate that roughly 2 million children and
teenagers in the United States have one or both parents deployed at least
once. These children have to move/relocate on an average of 10 times more
often than their peers. Moving that often may seem daunting to most people, but
for children growing up in the military, they learn to embrace change,
diversity, equity, and inclusion. Many of them learn more than one
language and develop a sense of worldliness.
I Move a Lot and That's Okay by Shermaine Perry-Knights is a
realistic fiction story that is based on her personal experiences as a "proud
military brat." She writes about what it's like to move from one place
to another, the feelings of excitement and nervousness children sometimes feel
when they have to move, and how families take care of each other throughout
the process. It's a story that will give you an insight into the lives
these children lead and how they learn to be more resilient, flexible, and
well-rounded as they grow up. Keep reading to learn more about I Move a Lot and That's Okay and how you can integrate it into your language arts lessons.
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A World of Cookies for Santa: Follow Santa's Tasty Trip Around the World by M.E. Furman
Once Thanksgiving is over and the calendar flips to December, many
well-meaning schools, teachers, and librarians will start preparing their
lesson plans to teach their Christmas Around the World units. There is
nothing inherently wrong with teaching a Christmas Around the World unit, but
I get irked when I see teachers and staff using bulletin board displays,
storybooks, and worksheets that depict cartoony children with big goofy smiles
and dressed in stereotypical cultural clothes. Instead, I prefer to see
books, drawings, and resources that depict real children engaged in authentic
activities and traditions.
A World of Cookies for Santa: Follow Santa's Tasty Trip Around the World by M.E. Furman does a good job of teaching us about Christmas around
the world without having to resort to cartoony stereotypes. The children
in A World of Cookies live in various countries around the
world and they set Christmas cookies out for Santa on Christmas Eve.
Each cookie is delicious and unique to the country it comes from. At the
end of the book, the author includes recipes for each of the cookies for you
to try on your own. Read on to learn more about A World of Cookies and about ways you can integrate it into the lessons you teach.
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Ritu Weds Chandni by Ameya Narvankar
In just a few short weeks (December 1, 2020), Ameya Narvankar will be releasing
his debut children's book Ritu Weds Chandni. Ritu Weds Chandni is
a beautiful... yet controversial... story about a young girl who stands up for
the people she loves. Who is she standing up for? Who is she standing up to?
What is she standing up for? Keep reading for the answers to these questions and
to learn how to integrate Ritu Weds Chandni into your lessons!
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Goo on My Shoe by Jacqui Shepherd
When teaching reading to young or struggling readers, teachers often use
poetry as one of the strategies to help them. There are a lot of reasons
why we use poetry:
🍎 Poems tend to be brief and easier to read.
🍎 Repetitive reading and mastery of poems build students' confidence.
🍎 Choral reading of poems encourages hesitant students to read out loud with
the others.
🍎 Teachers can use poetry to teach word recognition skills and build
vocabulary.
🍎 We feel emotions when we read poetry. Talking about those emotions
helps to build a better understanding of ourselves and others.
Goo on My Shoe by Jacqui Shepherd is a story for young readers
that is written in poetic form. It has a likable main character and a
storyline that will keep students engaged and motivated to read. Read on
to learn more about Goo on My Shoe and how you can integrate
it into your language arts lessons. There is even a simple goo recipe
for you to make with your students!
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Leaves in Fall by Mari Schuh
Autumn... also known as fall in some parts of the world... is the transitional
season between the heat of summer and the cold of winter. In the
northern hemisphere, autumn lasts from mid-September to mid-December and from
the beginning of March until the end of May in the southern hemisphere.
Autumn is marked by changes in the environment such as:
🍎 Leaves changing colors and falling from the trees
🍎 Temperatures dropping
🍎 Days getting shorter while nights get longer
🍎 Animals making preparations for winter
🍎 Farmers harvesting their crops
🍎 Animals making preparations for winter
🍎 Farmers harvesting their crops
Mari Schuh recently wrote a non-fiction book called Leaves in Fall for early readers in which she describes what happens to leaves
during autumn. Full-color photos and kid-friendly vocabulary are
used throughout her book. Read on to learn more about Leaves in Fall and how to integrate it into your lessons at school.
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